


Commitment

by loch_nessa



Series: Nell Ryder [1]
Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Interspecies Relationship(s), Light Angst, M/M, Multi, Other, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-19 01:14:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10629108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loch_nessa/pseuds/loch_nessa
Summary: The night after the mission aboard the Archon's flagship, Nell Ryder can't sleep. Little does she know that she's not the only one with this problem.“Watching your AI stop your heart nearly stopped mine, as well. It has forced me to consider some things...how I feel about the two of you.”





	

_ From one Pathfinder to another, over and out. _

Raeka’s voice echoes in her mind. She’s never had to make a decision like this before, never had to leave someone behind. The day’s events play over and over in her mind, every tiny choice examined. If she’d been faster, been better, maybe the salarian pathfinder would still be alive. 

“Dad would have found a way,” she says quietly. Not for the first time, she questions why her father had made the decision he had on Habitat 7.

“ _ Alec would not approve of your comparison, Nell, _ ” SAM’s voice in her head chides her gently. “ _ He would want your actions judged on their own merit, not compared to an idealized version of himself. _ ” Nell sighs. The artificial intelligence is right, of course. And logically, she knows there’s no way of telling whether her father could have done the job any better than she had today. But that knowledge does not make her heart any less heavy.

She’s sits on her sofa, staring out into space. It’s hard to judge how much time has passed when a small knock at her door pulls her out of her thoughts. “SAM?” she asks.

“ _ Jaal and Liam are requesting access to your quarters, Pathfinder. _ ” Just the mention of their names brings a small smile to her lips. Maybe they can’t sleep, either, and will keep her company. Just being around them will make her feel better. She pulls up her omnitool and unlocks her door.

When she turns to face them, however, she realizes that whatever reason the two of them have for coming to see her in the middle of the night, it’s not as simple as cheering her up. Jaal’s expression is troubled, his mouth pulled into somewhat of a grimace. Liam doesn’t look quite as melancholy, but he still has a somber look about him. Maybe they all needed cheering up.

“What’s up?” she asks, trying for levity. It doesn’t work, of course; it’s probably plain on her face that she’s been crying. She stands up, tugging the hem of her nightshirt down. The two men are silent for a moment, but Liam seems to be expecting Jaal to answer the question.

“Jaal wanted us to come see you,” Liam says finally. The angara glances at him, and then looks back to her. His large blue eyes meet her gaze for only a second before they fall to the floor.

“I did,” he says, stepping towards her. “Forgive me, now that I’m here, I’m finding it...” His voice trails off, and suddenly Nell recognizes the look on his face. Jaal is afraid. Whatever he’s trying to say, he must be scared of what their reaction will be. She walks across the room, and places her hand on his chest.

“Hey,” she says gently. “Take your time. There’s no need to worry.” Jaal gives her a grateful smile, and his hand covers hers, pressing it closer. Liam draws close, his hand resting comfortingly on Jaal’s shoulder. It’s taken some time, but they’ve gotten used to how generous the Angara are with their affections.

“Today’s mission,” Jaal says, his brow furrowing once more. He reaches out with one hand and rests it against her cheek, his thumb tracing over her cheekbone. “Watching your AI stop your heart nearly stopped mine, as well. It has forced me to consider some things...how I feel about the two of you.” He looks at Liam, and reaches up with his other hand to grasp the one on his shoulder. “I have been reading, studying your species, but I’ve found only information on two-partner pairings. My people don’t always...we sometimes...” Words fail him again, and he looks desperately between the two of them, hoping they can grasp his meaning well enough on their own.

“You want all of us to...be together?” Liam sounds hopeful, excited, even. “Like, romantically?” Jaal smiles at him, and nods. 

“I would,” he says. 

Liam lets out a noise that’s half-chuckle, half-sigh. “Hell yeah,” he says, looking to Nell. She feels a grin spread over her face.

“I’d like that,” she breathes, relief coursing through her. She and Liam had talked about pursuing a relationship after they’d fooled around, but that had been more than a month ago, before either of them had gotten to know Jaal. Certainly long before the three of them had grown so close. She’d been avoiding the topic recently, unsure of where they stood once it was obvious they were both becoming fond of their newest alien crewmate.

“Yes!” Jaal lets out a cheerful whoop, and without warning she finds herself caught up in his arms, her feet lifted up off the ground. She laughs, and reaches up to pull his face down to hers. Her lips tingle pleasantly as he kisses her gently. Then, as suddenly as he picked her up, he deposits her back on the ground, turning to Liam. He nearly picks him up as well, but the ex-cop is ready for him, and pulls him into a fierce kiss before he can. 

A moment later they break apart, and Liam reaches out, taking her hand and pulling her into an embrace, wedged between the two larger men. She feels giddy, bubbly, but with some of the day’s stresses put out of her mind, her fatigue is catching up to her. She wonders if her bed is big enough for three.

“Being with the two of you, it seemed as though something so wonderful could never come to pass,” Jaal says, pressing his forehead to Liam’s, a strong hand at the back of his neck. “One man does not deserve to be so lucky in one lifetime.” Nell hums happily as she leans into Jaal, Liam’s chest at her back. “Every day I live with the reality that I have friends I may never see again, but never has it terrified me more than when I think of losing either of you.”

“We’re right here.” She rests her hand over the center of his chest. “I’m sorry I scared you today.” Liam leans down and presses a kiss behind her ear.

“Don’t do it again, alright?” he says. She nods, snuggling closer between them. 

“I’ll do my best,” she murmurs. “Hey, you guys want to see if we can fit in my bed?”

Jaal lets out an appreciative hum. “Lexi told you to rest, darling one,” he says. “We shouldn’t engage in any strenuous activities.” She laughs, and pulls back enough to look up at him, her chin resting on his chest.

“I love where your mind’s going, big guy, but I meant to get some sleep. I feel dead on my feet.” Jaal’s face falls slightly, and Liam gives her a playful pinch on her side.

“That’s  _ not _ funny,” he says. She tries, poorly, to suppress a smile. “You think all of us will fit?” Nell slips out from between them, immediately missing their comforting presence. 

“One way to find out,” she says as she crosses the room to her bed. “You and I fit on a sofa, I’m pretty sure we can make it work.” She pulls the sheets back and climbs into bed, looking expectantly to the men still standing across the room. “What do you think, Jaal? Want to give our alien bedding a chance?”

Jaal smiles. “I have endured much worse treatment for far less reward than your company,” he says fondly. He leans closer to Liam, and asks in a quiet rumble, “Do you have a preference of which side?” Liam seems slightly tongue-tied for a moment, and Nell grins as she imagines the thoughts going through his head.

“N-no,” he finally stammers. Jaal lets out a low chuckle, fully aware of the effect he’s had on him. The angara pulls away from him and begins to strip out of his clothes as he makes his way to the bed. Liam catches Nell’s eye and they share a smile. The whole crew knows that Jaal sleeps in the nude; Angara don’t have the same social taboos that other races do. On more than one occasion Jaal has come to breakfast wearing nothing besides a grumpy frown. This means more, though. The smile that passes between them says exactly what Nell is thinking:  _ Are we the luckiest humans alive, or what? _

It takes a few minutes and some mild flailing, but eventually they find a comfortable position. Jaal only sleeps on his back, which doesn’t surprise Nell with how wide his shoulders are. She’s curled into his side, with Liam tight against her back, an arm over her waist. After staying motionless for only a few seconds, she can already feel sleep creeping over her. “We’ll need to talk more in the morning,” she yawns.

“Mmm,” Liam agrees quietly. “G’night, you two.”

“Night,” she replies. Jaal lets out a contented sigh.

“Good night, my darling ones.”

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and/or comments are so incredibly appreciated!
> 
> You can come find me on tumblr: loch-nessa.tumblr.com


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